Nagra – National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste

Radioactive waste is produced by electricity generation in nuclear power plants and by the use of radioactive materials in medicine, industry and research. The National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra) prepares inventories of all the radioactive waste arising in Switzerland and develops solutions for its safe disposal. These solutions have to ensure the long-term protection of humans and the environment. Nagra also carries out geological and technical investigation programmes. Research on waste disposal strategies is conducted in underground rock laboratories and in close collaboration with universities and research laboratories both from Switzerland and abroad. There are two operating rock laboratories in Switzerland, at Mont Terri and Grimsel, where foreign organisations also carry out their own research. Nagra has already shown in feasibility demonstrations for all types of waste that deep geological disposal can be realised technically as a waste management solution in Switzerland and that the requirements relating to long-term safety can be met (safety demonstration). The search for potential sites for deep geological repositories, which is regulated by the Sectoral Plan process under the lead of the Federal Government, is currently underway; priority in the process is given to safety-related criteria. The Sectoral Plan defines the legal and political framework of the search for sites in three stages. Great weight is attached to regional participation and providing transparent and understandable information to the public on ongoing developments and research results. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy leads and coordinates the Sectoral Plan process. As the regulatory authority, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) is responsible for reviewing the siting proposals made by Nagra. This also applies to the provisional safety analyses and the safety-based comparison of siting proposals that will be undertaken by Nagra in Stage 2 of the process. Also in Stage 2 – and with the participation of the affected regions - Nagra has to identify siting areas for the repository surface facility. Borehole investigations and 3D seismic measurements will be carried out in Stage 3 before Nagra makes the definitive siting proposal to the federal authorities.